Put a sock on it!

Not so awesome.

2010-12-14T11:49:00.002-05:00

Well, so much for updating this blog!

Perhaps you should just catch me on Ravelry...

An International Treasure.

2010-04-13T13:03:00.008-04:00

If you haven't seen it, please watch this video, in which Cat Bordhi gives us all helpful hints on how to knit while in motion.

I would say the woman might be a little crazy for knitting up in a tree, but her explanations while doing so were clear, concise, and made all kinds of sense.

Is her behavior a little out of the ordinary? Sure. Is she happy? 100%. You better believe it.

Here's the point in this blog post where I should apologize for not blogging for so long...but I'm not going to do that. What I am going to do is just get right back into it.

This blog might get a face lift and maybe a new title to reflect who I am now instead of who I was 2 years ago (simply a sock knitter vs. a knitter/crocheter/spinner/designer). So. Be watching for that, as well. I'll also interrupt the fiber arts discussion with the random you had grown to love.

Up next - a tour of the rental car I had last week, that made me yearn for a sweet new ride. Oh, boy!

I declare.

2009-06-29T19:07:00.000-04:00

I declare - this is the best thing ever.

And Now, I Bring You Crochet

2009-02-17T23:44:00.008-05:00

Well, it's official - I have yet ANOTHER hobby. Well, to be fair, it's really an extension of the hobby I already have had (knitting). My friends, I have discovered crochet, and I'm now not ashamed to admit that I think I am in love.

Here's the thing with crochet. I was formerly a knitting snob...you know the type - the kind that can't find any appreciation for crochet, mainly because they've never tried it and don't really want to learn anything new (hell, learning to knit was hard enough), or they keep seeing patterns for clothing made using granny squares, and everyone knows granny squares are supposed to be ugly (but they secretly kind of like them). Anyway, I was one of those snobs that thought only knitting was beautiful, and I had no use for another craft, since I never had enough time to knit everything I wanted to knit.

Well, so now I work at a yarn shop, and it's a good thing to know how to crochet, since I would say there are AT LEAST as many crocheters that come into the store as knitters (maybe more), and you know, they'd probably like to ask me questions. Well, not probably - they do want to ask me lots of questions, and I didn't ever have a way to answer them. The thing is, I didn't really realize there were so many crocheters coming into the store until I, too, learned how to crochet. It seems that some of these crocheters are almost ashamed to admit that they choose to crochet, and they keep this fact hidden, as if they are not usually welcomed into "knitting shops". I am here to say that this must change - immediately!!!! There are SO many creative possibilities that exist in crochet.

Nancy taught a bunch of us that work at the shop to crochet in November, and it was, for whatever reason, not easy for me at first. First of all, I couldn't get used to holding the yarn in my left hand, since when I knit, I hold the yarn in my right hand and throw the yarn, using my left hand only to hold a needle. I just couldn't get comfortable and couldn't get a grip on the yarn, and barely learned the mechanics during our lesson. I kept trying to wrap the yarn in the wrong direction around the hook. I couldn't keep up. I felt like a moron. I went home that night and was determined to figure the damned thing out, and I did. All I really wanted to do was make some adorable amigurumi, and I made that happen.

So, I messed around with crochet for a while, with much expense to my sock knitting, and, well, all other knitting in general. I started two of these blankets. Then, I saw a beautiful scarf in a catalog. I figured I had practiced enough, and could probably make my own. Then, I came across this book. It's pretty hard to resist. The cover is bright and exciting, and the book is arranged with motifs by size - hexagons, circles, triangles, and wild and crazy shapes. It turns out that Motif #30 was a pretty close match to the hexagon in the scarf I wanted to replicate. We had also seen a surge of interest in crochet at the shop and had lots of people take the Beginning Crochet classes, so I decided that maybe we should teach a series on motifs, with my hexagon scarf being the class project. So, I started my scarf in November, and finally completed it at the end of January. It seemed to have taken forever, but it really didn't take too terribly long. Here are some shots for you:

(Ravelry link)

As you can see, I'm pretty proud of this thing. I know it's not the most complex of ideas, and I pretty much copied an idea I found in a catalog, but I still think I did a pretty great job, even if I do say so. I used a size E hook and Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in way too many colors, which turned out to be a great option since all of the colors in the line look great with one another (I believe Mission Falls and Berroco yarns are made to do that, as well).

I am also beyond excited that the author of the book, Edie Eckman, will be visiting the store in March for a "Tips & Tricks" workshop and a book signing. Edie is not only a crocheter, but is also a sock knitter who has written many sock leaflets that I already own! I am hoping to learn a lot.

I'm not sure where my crochet adventure will take me next. I'd like to try some freeform - it seems like a pretty easy avenue in which to explore my creativity. I saw this purse and was definitely inspired. Sometimes, in knitting, I feel like I have to follow a pattern and have a hard time deviating sometimes. Maybe crochet will make that easier for me.

Can I just say that I love Christmas?

2008-12-09T17:52:00.002-05:00

I really do.

Things I love.

2008-10-26T17:07:00.024-04:00

1. The fact that I just finished my first truly successful sweater project:

Thanks to my co-workers/buddies Sandra and Bobbe, I finally learned how to seam correctly. I also learned how to figure out how to make a sweater really fit. These things are HUGE - and kind of, um, important to know if you're going to be making sweaters. Anyways. I used 11 skeins of Koigu Kersti, which is very fabulous. Highly recommended. Raveled here.

2. Kmart. I say it all the time, I know, but I really love it. Here are some things I found there yesterday:

Totally cute, no? Reminds me of some of the projects I would like to attempt in this book.

Martha Stewart approved amigurumi for your Christmas tree!! I have long adored her Sugarplum line, but this gave me a great gift idea - I can do this! Tiny Yarn Animals here I come!

3. Hungry-girl.com's daily e-mails. If you're on Weight Watchers, sign up to get them right now. Very, very helpful. Oh, by the way, I've lost 35 pounds since May. Holy crap!

4. As a follow-up to #3, these:

Only 2 Points!!!

5. Also as a follow-up to #2, I can't help it - I kind of love crochet:

I started one of these using mostly Cascade 220. It's pretty fun.

6. Navajo plying:

I'd say this is in between a sport and DK weight - spun from some Lorna's Lace top in Tickled Pink. Supposedly, the navajo ply is not good for socks, due to the join, but whatever. I think it looks real pretty.

7. Jake's new paint job:

That's his 1968 Impala, with fresh paint. It's very shiny, and fun to ride in.

8. Our new patio:

Jake finished this about a month ago - and he made the planter boxes, too. He can stay. I love him.

9. The final harvest from our garden:

Yes!! Sweet potatoes!! They were pretty delicious.

That's it for now.

Smiles,
Erin

So far behind!

2008-08-08T22:35:00.004-04:00

Well, everyone, it seems that I've neglected this blog - I mean, I haven't done it on purpose, exactly. It just happened. Maybe it's because it's now my job to update this blog (click to see a ridiculous picture of ME modeling a sweater).

Regardless, there's just TOO much to update, so I'll be choosy. I've been knitting a lot. And spinning a lot. I have start-itis. In a big way. Anyways. Here's a shot of my new knitting room in the house. Wait. Did I tell you that Jake and I moved into a new house in June? I probably didn't. You should probably see a shot of that first:

I am absolutely in love with this place. It's exactly what I wanted - a funky ranch on the east side of town. Of course, Jake and his gigantic Dodge Ram have done a little bit of landscaping since this shot was taken:

So, now I have a proper knitting room:

Good grief. That is a lot of yarn.

Also, since our house has a decently-sized backyard, I now can grow tomatoes:

That's been a lot of fun. My little sister also got married this summer:

It was a really, really fun and beautiful wedding.

I've also taken up crochet:

Yep, that's my first finished crochet project. Details on Ravelry, of course.

I've been on a cowl kick lately, and have many more single socks to share...next time. :)

Smiles,
Erin

Spinning and Knitting up a Storm (alternate title: "What Else is New?")

2008-05-26T17:02:00.004-04:00

Well, ever since I've learned this spinning thing, I've been spinning up an absolute STORM. Here are some shots of what I've done since I last posted - in order of what I spun first to last:

I'd tell you what all we have here, but I'm not sure that's so important (except for the middle one, which was spun from the fiber I mentioned in my previous post). I think the only real thing you can take from this is that I'm getting significantly better at this each time, even if I do say so myself.

I've also been doing a lot of knitting, although I've felt very unproductive as far as that's concerned lately. I don't think I've even finished a pair of socks yet this year...but that's OK. I'm spinning a bunch and making non-sock shop models, and loving my job, so it's all good.

I also designed my first pattern, which I have named Quinn, after the MTV show, Daria, which is, in my opinion a '90s classic. Here's a picture:

I promise it looks better in person. It's just a simple flappy purse made using NORO Daria. I want to make myself a much larger one, at some point.

Just so you don't think the sky has fallen, here are some shots of my current sock projects:

(Pattern: Socks for Veronik, Yarn: STR Lightweight, 24 Karat)

(Pattern: Lacy Pillars from the Loopy Ewe, Yarn: The Unique Sheep Tinsel Toes, Maya)

(Pattern: my own, for a toe-up/magic loop class I'll be teaching at the Haus in July, Yarn: Sheep 3 from Sheep Shop - LOVE IT)

That's 'bout it for now...I mean, there's more, but I'm off to eat corn and steak for Memorial Day. Of course, I can only have a little bit, since I started Weight Watchers 5 weeks ago (down 14.4 pounds...WOOOHOO!) - more on that later.

Smiles,
Erin

Knitting. And spinning. And cats.

2008-04-07T19:58:00.003-04:00

I've been very busy lately!! First up, I finished a sock:

You know it's a single. Now, moving on...the pattern I used is Groovy Socks from SockPixie. I highly recommend it! There's one lacy pattern row, and then one plain knit row. It's very easy to remember, and has lots of stretch. I used Colinette Jitterbug in the new Oyster Blush colorway. I love me some Jitterbug. I also love the new sock blocker I got from Knitting Notions:

Hello, gorgeous, no??! I may need one more. ;)

I've also been spinning some more, and have been getting a lot better:

Here's one more shot:

I used hand dyed merino roving from All Spun Up (Leah - click it. I dare you.). This was very easy to spin, and I'm sure I'll be purchasing more lovelies from Kristin. I'm going to attempt knitting socks on size 3s with this (or maybe size 4s), as I think most of it is sport or heavy fingering weight. I'm sure I could figure this out with a WPI tool, but I don't have one of those (yet).

It's a good thing I'm getting better at this whole spinning thing, since I was just gifted some of this:

Isn't it beautiful??!! That's superwash wool from Daily Fibers, hand dyed and gifted to me from blogless Jan and Leah - AND IT'S MY OWN COLORWAY! Yep - the "Erin" colorway. And honestly, it's the colors I would have picked for my own colorway, too. I adore it. After I spin one more batch, I'll be spinning this right up. I want to wait until I'm just a bit better. ;)

Also, the shop has got me making another sweater. I am loving knitting it!!! I might have crossed over back to the dark side of knitting other things besides socks. Oh, well. It was fun while it lasted. HA. I'm knitting a simple t-shirt from a Sirdar book using the new Noro Matsuri:

The yarn is mostly cotton, with a tiny bit of wool in it, and the colors RULE. Once again, highly recommended.

That's about all I've got for now, except for this adorable sight:

That's Jake entertaining Fluffy with my new laptop (!!). This is pretty much a nightly occurrence.

Smiles,
Erin

Adventures in SPINNING!

2008-03-20T20:11:00.005-04:00

Yes, that's right. Spinning! And I love it. I officially have another hobby.

I started spinning Monday night, and didn't really stop until Wednesday evening (of course, I work during the day and didn't spin except for in the evenings). I couldn't get enough. I think I was so proud of myself that I could actually produce something decent that I couldn't stop.

Anyway, here are some shots of my first batch (Corriedale pencil roving from Crown Mountain Farms - a very generous gift from Leah):

(spun singles - notice the one on the right is much better...I spun that second!)

(after plying)

(the finished product!)

(a lil' swatch)

It was so much fun that I stayed up late into the night starting another batch. Here's what came out of that:

I wish I could tell you how many yards of this and how many ounces it is, and how many wraps per inch, etc., but I'm just not that good yet. I love this stuff, though - it's Sakina Needles BFL in the Alpaca Dales colorway, and was very easy to spin. I may have ordered some more.

Lastly, I spun some Tussah Silk, which I really don't think I was ready for, but here's what I ended up with:

It's pretty horrid, but I couldn't resist - it was St. Patrick's Day.

In other news, I've taken a slight vacation from sock knitting, because I was working on a model for the shop:

This is Laura from Mission Falls' pattern book for 1824 Cotton called The Illustrator. It was a super easy knit, and I think it only took me two weeks of evening knitting. I think I was able to knit it so fast because I'm so used to knitting about a zillion tiny stitches for just one sock. Anyways, since I knit this and it was a success, you might be seeing more than socks on here for a little while at least. I am still knitting socks, though - albeit very slowly:

...just some plain ol' toe-ups using Araucania Ranco Multy - this yarn rocks!

Smiles,

Erin

KCPSA (Knitting Community Public Service Announcement)

2008-03-11T17:53:00.001-04:00

The new Knitty is up! There are a couple of really cool sock patterns...

Happy Tuesday,
Erin

They're back...

2008-03-11T00:35:00.002-04:00

FYI, Journey's now has clear Chucks again. I know they were sold out for a while, but it looks like they're now back in stock!

I'll say that I wore the pair I bought for a solid month, and they now have tears on the inner sides. Most of the canvas Chucks I have owned have split from the rubber at the same spot, but the plastic is just not as flexible as the fabric.

So, should I be a dope and buy another pair while they're still available?

San Fran.!

2008-03-03T20:05:00.003-05:00

I'm a very lucky lady. For Christmas, Jake got me a trip to San Francisco. So, two weeks ago, I finally cashed in. I hadn't really ever been to California, unless you count being dropped into L.A. for a day to visit USC when I thought I might go there for college (I don't count that). We were gone for five days, and had a fantastic time. You can see all of the pictures from our trip on flickr. I would have blogged about it sooner, but I was down with the flu pretty much all of last week. Talk about hell. Anyways.

I got plenty of yarn time in during out trip. We did a TON of walking, and thankfully for me, the two yarn shops I visited were in parts of the city we planned on exploring! We went to ImagiKnit first. Here is a shot of their magificent wall of sock yarn:

The ceilings are super high, and the yarn goes, well, up to the ceiling! Here's another shot of me having a moment with some Alchemy:

The shop staff was very friendly and mostly all male that day! What a rarity. The guy in the picture at the checkout counter had just been to Stitches West the night before and showed me and another shopper his badass haul. I was pretty jealous of the skeins of silk he had scored that were dyed gray somehow with charcoal. I walked away from the shop with a few skeins of very brightly colored sock yarn and some Claudia Handpainted Yarns Fingering Silk 55 in the John B colorway:

I'm not sure what I'll do with it, but it sure is pretty. Oh heck - you and I both know I'll be making socks.

Next up, we went to Artfibers:

As you can see, Artfibers is very much downtown in San Fran.. Here's a peek inside the store:

And another:

Now, I'd never seen anything like this. I believe that Artfibers spins and dyes all of these yarns themselves, which is pretty spectacular. I got one cone of Quipu (baby alpaca):

And one cone of Valparaiso (baby alpaca and merino):

I'm not sure you'll be able to see the marvelous colors from these pictures, but I'll just say that I cannot wait to cast on with this stuff. I'm thinking lace is in order.

That's all the yarny I have as far as San Francisco goes, but in other news, my first few days at the Haus have been great! I think I am really going to love this gig. Over the weekend, we were lucky enough to have Jackie E from Heartstrings with us to teach a toe-up sock class and a lace class. Her patterns are killer. Check 'em out!

Smiles,
Erin

Too organized?

2008-02-19T19:35:00.007-05:00

Is it possible to be too organized these days? I'll let you decide.

Last weekend, I went to Linens 'n Things and got one of these:

And one of these, for variety...:

...and ended up with this:

As I was installing this madness, Jake said, "You know, I wonder how much of your life revolves around socks." I thought that question was probably best left unanswered.

Smiles,
Erin

Very exciting news!

2008-02-08T22:48:00.000-05:00

I've have some very exciting news to tell you. In just one week (on Saturday, February 16th to be exact), I will start a new job - at Haus of Yarn!!!! If you can't tell, I am extremely excited to have landed, well, my dream job.

My current co-workers think I'm nuts to be leaving the music industry for yarn, but they'll never understand. I'm looking forward to being about a thousand times happier. Last night at the sock knit-a-long, the announcement was made and blogless Jan noted that I had smile on my face the entire night - and she was right. So, I guess it's pretty obvious, but if I were to relate how I feel by using a picture, because afterall, a picture is worth a thousand words, this would be it:

Or, maybe this:

Hee, hee. ;)

Anyways...I hope to see you all there - come and visit often!!

Big smiles,
Erin

New socks! Pretty colors!

2008-02-04T21:11:00.000-05:00

Here are the pictures of my Embossed Leaves Socks I promised you:

Yes, they are sitting atop a bush. I finally realized that my pictures turn out better if I take them outside. Anyways, here's a close-up:

I love these socks, and I plan to make many, many more. I only made one small modification...starting the ribbing with a knit through the back loop instead of the purl, so that the knit ridge lines up with the center of the first leaves. The fit of these is great, since they're somewhat ribbed, but the Jitterbug I used is also divine. I'm pretty sure I'll have to have every color it comes in. Oh, dear.

That's really all I can report for right now, except for this (this one's for Leah):

I'm really not anal retentive. I swear.

Smiles,
Erin

Many things to show you.

2008-01-31T13:37:00.000-05:00

How about a FO to start with?:

Those are some finished Primavera sock s. I can't recommend this pattern enough. I pretty much followed it to a "T", except for adding an extra purl stitch to the repeat so that I could have a 72-stitch sock. They fit great, and the Trekking XXL is highly entertaining. I will probably be making more of these.

In other news, I started another pair...and finished another single:

I knit this one using the Stansfield 304 stitch pattern from More Sensational Knitted Socks and some Panda Silk I scored from the new yarn shop in town, Knit Happy. I went toe-up with these so I could have a very long cuff and did increases up the back to accommodate my thick calf. I really like this sock, and the yarn is a dream...I really do think it should cost a lot more than it does. I'm hoping to score some of it in a solid color at the Haus of Yarn (that is if they have been holding out on me like I'm guessing and have been saving some for next month's sock knit-a-long). Here's another picture, because I like you:

I started a pair of Embossed Leaves Socks using some semi-sold red Jitterbug, but I have yet to take pictures. They are fantastic, though, and I can't wait to show you.

In other news, I have taken up spinning, as most of you know. I'm still learning, and don't really know how to ply, but I like it. Here's a picture from a spinning gathering I went to earlier in the month:

I don't remember her name, but here is one of the ladies showing off a shawl she made out of her handspun. Amazing! You can see half of my new Ashford Joy in the corner. Good times.

And finally, I'll leave you with this:

What's that? That's my good-looking boyfriend standing next to my sweet ride and the new vanity plate he installed for me...that's right. It says "I <3 2 Party". Hee, hee, that is so ridiculous.

Smiles,
Erin

Have you seen these?

2008-01-17T14:10:00.000-05:00

Holy cow, these are adorable. I may need to order the gnome.

It's a new year. What's new?

2008-01-10T01:18:00.000-05:00

It's a new year, so I thought I'd start out with a bang:

I just completed these tonight. Yep, everybody, that's a completed pair knit with Noro Kureyon Sock (colorway S182), inside the best shoes in the universe. Seriously, I've worn them everyday since I bought them about a week ago, and I'm considering buying a few backup pairs while they're still available. NERD ALERT! The pattern I used is the Pennant Stitch from More Sensational Knitted Socks. I think the pattern gives the socks a cool texture and takes advantage of the long color repeats, but I think next time I knit socks with this stuff (I have 3 other colorways now, making me a total yarn whore), I'll probably knit them toe-up and in plain stockinette to take advantage of the awesome thick and thin texture. Here's one more shot:

Oh, and a close-up:

In other news, I'm working on the second sock on another pair:

These are some Primavera Socks knit using Trekking XXL (colorway 110). I modified the pattern to allow one extra reverse stockinette stitch after each repeat with in the row so that I could have my standard 72 stitches. I am enjoying this pattern immensely and highly recommend it - it's very easy to memorize, and is essentially five rows of ribbing with one pattern row. The sock also fits very well, since it's a ribbed pattern.

I also finished the Gauntlets from Not Just Socks a while back:

These were knit with JUST ONE ball of Regia! The pattern is very simple and a fun knit. I wear these all the time.

I also had a fantastic Christmas - seriously, I think it may have been my favorite Christmas...ever. I was able to spend time with both my family and Jake's family, and had quality time with everyone. It was really fun. It also probably didn't hurt that I got a trip to San Francisco from Jake (going in February!) and a spinning wheel (Ashford Joy) from my parents, although I think I already told you that. I am a little frustrated with spinning right now, but I'm hoping to get some help from some friends this weekend. Oh, joy. Pun intended.

Lastly, I've decided to start taking care of my nails. By taking care of my nails, I mean getting fake ones, done in the nail salon. I don't really know why. It's awfully girly of me and if I keep this up, I could be qualified as "high maintainance", though I not sure I'd give a shit if that was the case. Check it out:

Totally worth it, no? Don't worry, they don't get in the way of knitting.

Smiles,
Erin

2007 meme

2008-01-02T15:30:00.000-05:00

Taken from the Simply Socks Yarn Co. Blog...

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
I tried spinning!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I think I vowed to lose weight last year. It didn't go anywhere. I haven't made any new ones for this year...I think last year's should probably carry over to this one.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My co-worker, Sam, and his wife, Catie, had a baby girl right before Christmas. It was fun to hear stories about him going through the pregnancy process.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, actually. My Aunt Jenny, who I hadn't really seen in about 10 years, died this summer. It's kind of a mystery as to what went down, but my family was very close with her when we were growing up and lost touch as I grew up, unfortunately. Also, my best friend Amy's father died this year, and I enjoyed his company very much.

5. What countries did you visit?
I didn't even go to Canada this year!

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
Another cat. I'd really like a third cat. I'm not holding my breath.

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I'll remember the day we sold the house. I don't remember the exact date, but it's memorable. I'll also remember leaving my first "real job", and my birthday party at the Gerst Haus. Good times.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I'm not too sure. Probably not killing anyone at work.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Again, I'm not really sure. I wish I had saved more money.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not at all.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
About 80 pounds of sock yarn.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Probably Jake's. He's the best boo in the world.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
New York, from Vh-1's "I Love New York". Talk about lame. I have to admit that I watched the show, though. It's a true trainwreck, and I cannot look away.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Going out to eat. Oh, and yarn.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
A spinning wheel!! I blame Leah for this. I needed another hobby like I needed a hole in the head, but it's all good.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
"Philadelphia Freedom" by Elton John (it's been in Jake's head for 3 weeks now) and "Killer Queen" by Queen.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: 
a) happier or sadder?
Happier.
b) thinner or fatter?
I don't know. I would assume fatter.
c) richer or poorer?
I really don't know. I'd assume poorer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Traveling. I didn't take enough trips last year.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Eating out.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
On Christmas morning, I opened gifts with my immediate family and Jake, and then at lunchtime we went to Fort Wayne to open gifts with Jake's family. A good time was had by all.

21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
I was already in love!

22. What was your favorite TV program?
That's a four-way tie, between "Late Night with Conan O'Brien", "How Do I Look?", "Project Runway", and "The Office".

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don't hate anyone.

24. What was the best book you read?
I didn't read many books. I started to read The Devil Wears Prada, but only made it half way. Lame, I know.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I got the new Collective Soul album, but they're not a discovery at all. I have been kind of soured on the music industry lately.

26. What did you want and get?
Please see question #15.

27. What did you want and not get?
This question will remain unanswered for fear that someone very close to me might kick my ass.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Hmmm. I really liked "Superbad".

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Please see question #7. I was 27!

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Having more money.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
No muss, no fuss. It's sad, but true. I wear easily washable cotton tops with jeans, and most times hand knit socks.

32. What kept you sane?
Knitting, Jake, candy, ice cream, my friends, my family, and my cats.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Kenny Rogers.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The price of gasoline. Is that a political issue?

35. Who did you miss?
My family.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
My co-worker, Sam.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
Look before you get up from bending over. I can't tell you how many times I bashed my head into something.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I don't want to. There's really nothing appropriate anyways.

I plan to do another "year in review" post shortly. But, since this is a blog about sock knitting, it will be a review of all the new sock yarns I tried out in 2007. It won't disappoint! ;)

I must have these.

2007-12-11T17:46:00.001-05:00

(click images for more information)

One more picture:

I'm pretty sure they made these with sock knitters in mind.

KCPSA (Knitting Community Public Service Announcement)

2007-12-05T11:31:00.000-05:00

The new Knitty is up! Looks like there are a lot of lovely new sock patterns. Merry Christmas indeed!

Do not let this happen to you.

2007-11-19T12:31:00.001-05:00

What's that? Oh, just the current total - 24 single socks. I know I'm usually going around saying "Oh, we don't talk about numbers," but I just had to share. I guess some might find this shameful, but I feel no shame. Here's another shot:

I guess if I had some advice to give to a new sock knitter, I'd just tell them not to let this happen to them. I mean, really. The fact that I still "have" to knit 24 more of these seems kinds of daunting. Oh, well.

Moving on.

I finished the sKNITches toe-ups!

I love these socks.

That's about all the news I have for now - I'm coming back to work today after being on vacation last week. My vacation was awesome. I didn't go anywhere, and all I did was hang out with Jacob. We had a very good time, and it was very relaxing. But, trust me...I still did my chores:

(socks laying out to dry)

Hahahhahahah, I make myself laugh. Happy Monday, everybody.

Smiles,
Erin

P.S.: NASHVILLE KNITTING MEETUP MEMBERS - TOMORROW'S MEETUP IS CANCELLED!! :)

Also.

2007-11-09T11:21:00.000-05:00

This weekend, I plan to gather all the singles and give you an updated total and picture. I think we've got over 20 now, people.

Oh, boy...

1.75 FOs!!

2007-11-09T10:42:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited. I just finished more socks:

I actually really like these. They're just some simple top-downs made with some sock yarn I scored from this shop. I'm not sure if the seller is selling through etsy anymore, or not, though. Regardless, here are some more pictures:

Of course, once these were off the needles, I immediately cast on for some more:

These are just some simple toe-ups I'm making with sKNITches Syncopation in "Blue Lagoon". This is VERY nice yarn. Highly recommended.

And, finally, I started just one more pair (again, toe-up):

The yarn here is Prism Saki in "Mojave" that I got from the Haus of Yarn. The dye job on this yarn is very unique...check it out!

That's about all I've got for now. I've made a bunch of stash enhancements lately, but you can check those out on Ravelry. But, just so you know, I may be making a slight deviation from sock knitting to make some toys for some tots I know for Christmas - I got this book last night:

Seriously, this book is amazing. I can now make a warthog if I wanted to.

Smiles,
Erin

Oh, how I love you.

2007-10-24T16:13:00.000-04:00

These have always been my favorite Halloween candy:

I think I've eaten 37 of them in the past three days. I know that most people think they are totally lame, but I am taking a stand. How can you not LOVE these??? It's peanut butter taffy with an extra shot of peanut butter in the center!!

People are crazy. What's your favorite Halloween candy?

FO report!

2007-10-21T22:15:00.000-04:00

Well, I had a fruitful weekend. I've now realized it takes me about a full week to knit one sock. Anyways, here's the pair I finished this morning!:

I actually really like this picture. And the socks, too. These were knit using my basic top down recipe (72 sts on size 1 addis) and some Schaefer Anne. I think I knit the first sock well over a year ago, but they're finished now, and that's all that matters. I don't love knitting with the Anne so much, but I do love the finished product. The only thing that stinks is that I have a TON of yarn leftover. And I mean a ton. I may end up making a pair of toddler socks with that. Here's another shot:

So, that's one less single sock in the pile, but I've recently added three more:

This was knit with some Regia, again, using my basic sock recipe. And here's a finished Wollmeise (but not) sock:

And lastly, one finished Music Man sock:

Here's a close-up of the stitch pattern and short-row heel:

In stash enhancement news, my skein of Merino Stripes from Mama Blue came in on Thursday:

I love this yarn already, and I haven't even started knitting with it. Really, it is gorgeous! I think I may need to cast on tonight...

Finally, I made my weekend-ly trip to the Haus of Yarn yesterday, and picked up many things, including this:

That's a skein of Araucania Ranco Multy. I love the dye job on this one, and also must say that this was very reasonably priced. Whoooopee!

That's about all I've got for now, except to say that if you haven't seen this movie, please do yourself a favor and try to at least catch it on IFC. You won't be disappointed. I mean, unless, unlike me, you don't really find ridiculous "hip-hoperas" that hilarious.

Smiles,
Erin

So bad!

2007-10-15T12:39:00.000-04:00

...but so good! I couldn't resist. I just got some of this. I can't wait for it to arrive.

In other news, I have 3 new single socks to show you. I hope to take pictures of them tonight. I also went to Cleveland, OH to visit my parents a few weekends ago, and now have 2 yarn shop reviews for you:

Birds of a Feather - This shop, located in The Shoppes of Olde Avon Villag e, is one I have made a point to visit, pretty much every time I've gone to visit my parents during the past couple of years. The shop is housed in a very big, old barn, which is very, very cool, in my opinion. The bottom floor of the barn is the quilting floor, and the upstairs is all yarn. I like this shop, but the past few times I've been there, I must say that I can't help but wonder if the focus has shifted much more in favor of quilting. I think the last time I had gone to the shop was sometime in the spring, and it really seemed like the yarn inventory had not changed much. I guess time will tell, but I won't be surprised if this shop starts selling only quilting supplies at some point in the near future.

French Creek Fiber Arts - This shop, located right across the parking lot from Birds of a Feather packed A LOT of punch for such a small space. My mother, my sister, and I all walked out with a purchase, which was more than we could say after our trip to Birds of a Feather that day. I scored a solid blue skein of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock and also a skein of Twinkle Toes from Chameleon Colorworks. This shop had a fine selection of yarns, including Fleece Artist yarns, which I hadn't ever seen for sale at a yarn store. This little shop really is a dream for the fiber enthusiast, as the shop also carries supplies for weaving and spinning. A must visit for sure!

One more thing.

2007-10-03T16:11:00.000-04:00

Check out the preview for the Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2007 issue (available October 16th). Looks like there will be several awesome patterns!!

Holy cool pattern!!

2007-10-03T16:00:00.000-04:00

I keep forgetting that MagKnits is now coming out monthly. I checked the site a few minutes ago and came across one seriously cool sock pattern. Check it out! I'm pretty certain these will be on my needles shortly.

Finished Objects!!

2007-09-24T14:02:00.000-04:00

I'm long overdue for a post...sorry everybody! I don't really know what's been wrong with me lately. There have been many nights when I've just come home from work and then proceeded to fall asleep at around 7:00 p.m.. Not good. Needless to say the knitting has suffered, along with many other things (like the litter box), but I have managed to finish two pairs of socks! Check 'em out:

These are the Bubble Wrap socks from Sockbug, knit using Mountain Colors Bearfoot in "Bitteroot Rainbow" that I purchased from the Haus of Yarn. Here's the full monty:

Next up, I finished a pair of Leah's Sweater Socks:

And one more shot:

These were knit with some Koigu KPPPM, once again, purchased at the Haus of Yarn. I had to use three skeins, but I think these are magnificent and worth every penny. I also highly recommend the pattern. I modified the heel (standard Sensational Knitted Socks heel vs. the Eye of the Partridge the pattern called for), but other than that kept it the same. They fit very nicely, and are very comfy! Yay, socks!

So, in celebration of finishing TWO projects, I went ahead and cast on for another:

This is the start of the Wollmeise Socks - except I'm not using Wollmeise (I haven't scored any of that yet). The yarn I'm using has been calling to me since I bought it. It is heavenly, and I can't recommend it enough!! I'm going toe-up instead of cuff down, hoping that I can use up every heavenly bit of this stuff.

In other news, I uploaded the rest of my socks projects to Ravelry. I have a bunch of older sweater projects and sweater-type yarns to upload, but all of my sock stuff is now represented.

We also have a bit of stash enhancement. Just a bit - that's all. I got these lovelies from Simply Socks Yarn Company. I couldn't resist:

That's sKNITches Syncopation in "Lagoon"...

...and Dream in Color Smooshy Sock Yarn in "Wisterious". Oh, delish.

And, lastly, Jake had a birthday a couple weeks ago, and I "surprised" him with a small gathering. My friend Brooke made the cake (check out the pics on her page - you won't be disappointed). She also made mine in January. Seriously, though, check this thing out:

The cake and the party were big hits!

Smiles,
Erin

Holy Moly. Or something.

2007-09-12T01:24:00.001-04:00

Well, after I came home from Meetup, I finished putting the rest of my stash up on Ravelry. In reality, it didn't take that long. Looking at the entire list would make me hurl, if I didn't love it so much.

In other news, I got new shoes:

I like them very much. They're great for showing off the handknit socks. Don't you think?

Smiles,
Erin

Well, well, well.

2007-09-07T16:55:00.000-04:00

The house is up for sale. Check out our listing. I'm a little bittersweet about it, to tell you the truth. I truly have enjoyed living in the house. If you want to see what the "before" looks like, check out Jake's blog. He's done such an awesome job.

Also, a buddy of mine passed along this article. Interesting - although I hate being filed into a trend. "It's sweeping the nation!" Oh, bite me.

Chucks, for knitters?

2007-09-04T18:46:00.001-04:00

I was out shopping this weekend and came across a pair of these.

Right after I got out of college, I realized I had like 18 different pairs of Chucks in almost every color of the rainbow. Needless to say, I've since gotten rid of most all of them. Perhaps it's time to add just one more pair to the repertoire?

Stats.

2007-09-04T18:35:00.000-04:00

I' m now on Ravelry, everybody. My username is putasockonit. Add me! I was uploading my projects today at lunch, and have come up with the following stats:

1. I have taken pictures of 10 finished pairs of socks (20 singles) - I'm have many more unphotographed pairs completed, though.

2. I have taken pictures of 28 socks in progress. And there's a bunch more I need to take pictures of.

3. Of those 28, 17 are plain, top-down stockinette socks. Mreh.

4. 1 is plain stockinette, toe-up.

5. 1 is toe-up with a stitch pattern.

6. 7 are top-down with a stitch pattern.

7. Only 4 will have short row heels.

8. I'm only knitting 1 with an usual construction (Sideways Socks from Opal).

I don't particularly like these "stats". I definitely need to start knitting more challenging socks.

What a weekend.

2007-09-03T21:12:00.000-04:00

I had a pretty sweet weekend. Admittedly, I didn't do a whole hell of a lot, but it turns out that that was exactly what I needed. I finished a PAIR of socks! Check 'em out (please excuse the whitest legs on earth):

For details about the pattern and the yarn, see the post below. I adore these socks. I realize these are only a simple lace pattern, but I am so proud of myself (and my attention span) for knitting something more challenging than plain stockinette. Normally, I start a lacy sock, and then bail after the first day. After I finished these, I was good and started on the second one of these:

I'm to the heel of the second one. Hopefully, I'll have another pair done by the end of this week. You'd be amazed at how fast you can knit a pair when you have one already done. Heh, heh. Finishitis? Oh, heck YES! The yarn is Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Bitteroot Rainbow (I think). The pattern is Bubble Wrap Socks from Sock Bug.

In other news, I broke the purse I had been carrying - well, technically, I probably could have fixed it, but you know, who needs an excuse to buy a new purse? I went ahead and got a new one:

Why is this worth mentioning on my knitting blog? Because it's two-sided:

See? That's a sock-in-progress on one side:

This is exciting (for me), 'cause now I only need to carry one bag, and can stop looking like a geniune bag lady. We also had the fortune (and NOT misfortune, JAKE) of finding a cat and her litter of kittens nesting next to our tiki hut:

There are two orange tabbies, and two gray tabbies. My favorite is this guy in the front with the soft white belly. I'm not sure if it's soft or not 'cause I haven't really touched them (yet) for fear that they may have some disease that I'd hate to pass on to any of the two cats I already own. We're not really sure how long they've been there. For all we know, they could have been born next to the tiki hut, and we're just now discovering them. Anyway, I have been begging Jake all weekend to let us keep one - specifically this guy in the front (we shall call him Boots, short for "Mr. [or Mrs.] Fancyboots). This is unfortunate timing, considering the fact that we're about to sell the house, but love doesn't ever consider schedules. Hahha. Seriously, though, they've been so much fun to watch. Here's one more:

Since we'll likely be showing the house next week, we're going to have to figure out what to do with at least three of them - we were hoping that Love at First Sight took strays, but they don't. So, we're hoping the Humane Society has room for them.

That's about all I've got for now - perhaps I'll see you on Tuesday or at the Sock Knit-a-Long on Thursday?

Smiles,
Erin

So many things to show you. Most of them are blurry.

2007-08-29T11:49:00.000-04:00

CAUTION - THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY LONG, AND VERY PICTURE-INTENSIVE POST. Mhmmm.

So, with the advice I got from Kim, and this very informative blog post from Wendy, I finally invested in a food scale:

There it is next to a toe-up sock in progress. I divided the hank into two even balls, and started knitting away. In case you're wondering, that's Zen String Serendipity Sock yarn in the Bloom colorway, purchased from The Sweet Sheep. I'm doing a toe-up version of the Music Man socks pattern found here. You can't tell it from the picture, but the yarn is awesome, and the stitch pattern is very simple and works well, I think.

Up next, I finished another single sock:

Again, I don't really know what's wrong with the camera, but I adore this sock. And you can't even see that it's pretty here. Also, note that I've started the second one. Here are a couple of close-ups of the stitch pattern:

This is the "Scrolls" pattern from More Sensational Knitted Socks, knit using Knitting Notions kettle dyed Classic Supersock Merino in Green Apple. I love this yarn. LOVE IT.

Next up is another single (with the second started, mind you):

This is one tall sock. It's just a plain old, generic toe-up, knit using Crown Mountain Farms' Sock Hop yarn in Pink Cadillac. I'm knitting this pair toe-up because the notion of having any of this yarn leftover makes me want to hurl. I knit the first one using an addi size 2 (which you know is really like a size 3) and now have a very, very thick sock. So, what I learned here is that I can probably go up a needle size or two and possibly even get a pair out of one skein. Hmm. Here's a close-up:

I think it's glorious, even if I did knit it. Next up, I made my usual weekendly trip to the Haus of Yarn on Saturday and ended up coming home with this:

That's the new Cat Bordhi sock book and a skein of Arucania sock yarn. YUMMY. I'll give you a brief review of the book, although I haven't combed through it in excruciating detail yet. This book is insane, and looks extremely interesting, and I can't wait to start a sock using one of the patterns. I mean, check out Kristy's finished sock. AMAZING!

In other news, check out my first handspun:

Pretty horrid, no? I got together with Leah, who so graciously let me borrow her wheel AND some of her Spunky Eclectic pencil roving to try and learn to start spinning. I think I like it, but I've got to tell you that I got pretty frustrated. Hm. I think I just need to get a wheel and spend some time with it alone. Yep.

And, finally, I have a couple of finished plain stockinette pairs that I don't think I ever showed you:

(Trekking 100)

(Koigu KPPPM in some colorway)

That's all I've got for now...maybe next time we'll have more finished PAIRS!

Smiles,
Erin

Also.

2007-08-28T11:07:00.001-04:00

I've been taking the whole moderation thing seriously. Today, I only bought one skein of yarn. This should last me all week. I hope.

(sock yarn from The Woolen Rabbit)

I owe you a post - complete with socks and a scale, and lots of other fun things. I hope to get that together this evening.

Oh, Csoul

2007-08-28T10:51:00.000-04:00

It's kind of ridiculous to love a band from the mid-90s so much, I'll admit, but I can't help myself. Ever since about 1994, I have been, potentially, Collective Soul's biggest fan. Their new album, "Afterwords", comes out today, only at Target and iTunes. Let's just say I'll be making a Target run at lunch.

Here's the video for their latest single:

Collective Soul"Hollywood" from El Music Group

Those are some awesome (?) graphics in that video...but again, I can't help myself.

Smiles,
Erin

Thanks to Jake...

2007-08-23T10:18:00.001-04:00

...we now have this.

Lovely.

I actually kind of like it.

It's official...

2007-08-16T11:23:00.000-04:00

...I have died and gone to heaven. This arrived at my doorstep yesterday:

Yes, I tore into the package like a wild savage, and yes, that is Sock Hop from Crown Mountain Farms in Big Yellow Taxi, Pink Cadillac, and Say A Little Prayer. I have been trying to score some of this bounty for a very long time. I don't know how I had any bare needles left, but I found some and managed to cast on right away:

That is an awful picture, but I assure you, it is gorgeous. I can't get enough.

I also had some very good luck at the last installment of the Nashville Knitting Meetup's yarn swap. I traded some Yarn Pirate and Duets to Brownyn for all of this:

That's some Schaeffer Anne, Lorna's Laces, and Koigu KPM. Oh, yes.

I was also able to trade some Koigu to Julie Ann for this:

That's some KnitPicks on the left and Sunshine Yarns "Fresh" on the right. Yipppeee!!

Barb was also so kind as to bring me another colorway from Sunshine Yarns from her trip to the great state of Rhode Island (not part of the swap):

I love it!!! Thank you so much, Barb.

So, I guess I'm good on yarn for a while.

Smiles,
Erin

What an awesome idea.

2007-08-15T11:28:00.000-04:00

I wish I had thought of this idea before this morning. Looks like someone already beat me to the punch. Check it out.

I wish I had known about this service before I went and deleted my old livejournal! Ha.

A pair! And a single.

2007-08-13T10:21:00.000-04:00

I had another lovely weekend. While Jake was installing ventilation apparatuses, I knit some socks (notice a pattern developing here?). I even finished a pair!

Once again, these are simple, toe-up socks, knit using Wendy's pattern, in Mama Llama self-striping sock yarn in the "Berkeley" colorway, purchased from Wool Girl.

I love these socks. Here's a picture on the sock blockers:

When I was finishing the first sock, I cast off as I would for any sweater I've ever done, and then couldn't get the damn thing on. So, I did a lil' research, and came across the EZ sewn bind-off, which was very simple to execute. Here's a close-up of that:

The only thing that irritates me about these socks is that I had altogether too much yarn leftover:

I guess Kim is right - I need to get a scale, and fast.

Also, I must have caught a case of finishitis. After I wrapped-up this pair, I took out a sock in progress, and ended up finishing one of them:

I guess I need to do a close-up on this, but it's just a simple sock knit with Socks That Rock in the sherbet colorway. Finishing went pretty quickly, after I transfered all of the stitches from a 12" addi to a 47" addi, and then used magic loop. By the way, I have got a shit ton of 12" addis. Anyone want some? I was even a good sock knitter and then cast on for the second one:

Next up? Yarn acquisitions. Someone, who shall be unnamed, for witness protection purposes, scored me some of this:

No, I am not a member of the Rockin' Sock Club. It's sad. Maybe next year. Next, the Nashville Knitting Meetup had its first yarn swap last Tuesday (to be continued this Tuesday). I traded some Lorna's Laces in the sweetie colorway to Kim (mentioned above) for some Lorna's in the baby stripe colorway:

And lastly, but certainly not least, here is my Lovesticks prize package from the blog contest I won:

By the way, Katie puts an old-fashioned piece of stick candy in with her orders. I love those! I can't wait to knit with this self-striping goodness.

I'm about cashed out for now, but I'll leave you with one sweet picture of my Boo lovin' up on some Fluffy (short for Fluffy L. Jackson - he's the cat):

Have an excellent Monday,
Erin

Um, yeah.

2007-08-09T12:50:00.000-04:00

This post pretty much sums up why I'd like to learn to spin.

Lawd, help me.
Erin

HOT dress

2007-08-07T15:40:00.000-04:00

Have you seen the new Magknits? I'm not sure I'd ever knit a dress, but this is one hot knit. Dang!

My weekend and Toe Up!

2007-08-06T22:05:00.000-04:00

I had a lovely weekend. Jake's cousin, Mike, was in town, so they spent some time together playing video games and landscaping, while I taught myself how to knit socks toe up. Check it out:

It's realize that it's kind of crazy that I've been knitting socks for so long and just got around to learning this little trick (being that I have a size 11 foot), but now that I've got the hang of it, I see many more of these in my future. The toe is a little weird, but so are you. Only kidding. But honestly, I'm going to say that I did a pretty decent job for this being my first foray, if you will. Here's another shot (notice the new issue of Interweave):

It wasn't too terrible, really, once I figured out how to execute Judy's Magic Cast-on, although I will say it doesn't look too much like a sock unless I'm wearing it. The yarn is Mama Lama self-striping in the Berkley colorway, purchased at the most excellent Wool Girl. The yarn is amazing, and really, so is Wool Girl. Love it!!

I also got a chance to eat some wonderful roma tomatoes I grew myself:

Well, to be fair, Jake grew them, but holy tomatoes, they were delicious.

And, finally, since I went and joined the Knitting Crazy Cat Ladies web ring, here is a picture of my crazy cat, Nona (don't get too close - she bites):

One last thing - the Nashville Knitting Meetup crew will have their very first yarn swap tomorrow night at the Stillwaters Cafe. I can't wait!

Happy Monday,
Erin

Perhaps my luck is changing.

2007-08-06T21:53:00.000-04:00

Everyone always says this, but I never win anything. Truly. Not a winner of things over here, people. But I feel that, perhaps, my luck may be changing.

First, I won my first ever blog contest. YIPPEE!!! I love Katie's yarns! Hand-dyed AND self-striping? Bring it! So exciting.

Secondly, I was shopping at the Shoe Carnival on Saturday, and won me a little trivia contest. Oh, yes. The question? Name three Arnold Schwarzenegger comedies. You better believe I got to spin the wheel. My answers? "Kindergarten Cop", "Jingle All The Way", and "Junior". I blame Coney for this. Honestly. Like I know anything about Arnold. Here is my prize.

Yeah, so it's only a dollar off, but who cares??! I won!!

Delivery, on that other promise

2007-08-01T18:08:00.000-04:00

A long time ago, back when I went on that yarn diet, I promised I would show you pictures of the stash, just so you would understand why the whole yarn diet was so necessary. Well, it's time I delivered, even though I went and quit the yarn diet. Here's the whole enchilada:

That's just the unused stash - please note that there are 3 full bags of socks in progress, and a couple of other baskets that are holding half-finished sweaters. And yes, that is my garden gnome collection on top.

The top two rows are all sock yarn:

Now, I will show you my favorite cubes (this feels very dorky, but I love looking at this mess and figured you might, too). Here are the blues:

And the reds - a bit blurry, I know:

Oranges and peaches:

The pinks:

The yellows and greens:

And the multis - or, those that really didn't fit into any other cube:

So, anyways. I guess a smarter person would have stayed on the diet.

Smiles,
Erin

Today is a very good day.

2007-08-01T11:16:00.001-04:00

Here are the reasons why:

1. I just signed/sold a big account at work. WAHOOO!

2. I scored some of this. Oh, yes.

Party, party!!!!!!
Erin

Take a peek inside my top drawer.

2007-07-30T22:57:00.000-04:00

Well, maybe not my top drawer. Let's just say a lady never lets anyone see her underpanties. Okay, maybe one or two people. Ahem.

Shannon tagged those reading her blog to share a picture of their sock drawers, or the places where the finished socks are stored. So, never one to disappoint, here's where mine are kept (in the second drawer):

And here are a couple peeks inside:

It's somewhat organized - here you see the white socks, and then the dark knee-highs, and then the handknits...

And here are the handknits again, with the colorful store-boughts.

I'm sure this is very interesting...though I would like to point out the fact that you can see a total of 7 pairs in this drawer. Mhmm. Maybe I'm not such a single sock slouch? Let us ponder on that for a moment.

Okay, I still have 20 single socks to knit up. Nevermind.

Smiles,
Erin

Finished objects!

2007-07-30T10:39:00.000-04:00

Hello, everybody! I finished a PAIR of socks this weekend. Here are my finished charade socks:

I made these in about two weeks (I have numerous other sock-ly distractions) with some cheap-o Sockotta ($9) I bought on sale at Knitting on the Square in Chardon, OH while they were having their 2nd anniversary celebration. The shop is adorable, and if you're ever in the area, you must go. There's a cute article on the shop and its owner in the current issue of Knitscene - the owner also designed a number of patterns in this issue, which she had on display in the shop. Very cool! Here's a close-up of the herringbone rib stitch pattern:

And here is my cankle, wearing one of the socks:

Lovely.

Since I had the camera out, I figured I'd show you another finished PAIR today:

These are just some simple socks knit using my standard sock recipe using some Regia Bamboo Color. I LOVE this yarn. I've already washed (and dried) these socks several times, and they just keep getting softer. I also really like the strange pooling. It's psychadelic, or something.

Also, just a short PSA - if you ever see one of these in the grocery store, in the exotic fruits section, WALK AWAY:

Actually, run away. This thing, although it looks as though it might be the world's best kept secret and might actually hold the world's most glorious fruit, is just plain horrid. Just a warning.

Have a nice Monday,
Erin

Oh, yes.

2007-07-19T12:15:00.000-04:00

I also may need to order this one.

Lawd, help me.
Erin

Huh?

2007-07-18T13:01:00.001-04:00

You Are the Thumb

You're unique and flexible. And you defy any category.
Mentally strong and agile, you do things your own way. And you do them well.
You are a natural leader... but also truly a loner. You inspire many but connect with few.

You get along well with: The Middle Finger

Stay away from: The Pinky

What Finger Are You?

This...is not working.

2007-07-18T11:31:00.000-04:00

I have decided, as of this morning, that a yarn diet is just not appropriate for someone like me. So, I quit.

I just got this. Oh, and this (there is no longer a link to the direct colorway - I guess I must have swiped the last skein!).

I've decided, that, instead of going all cold turkey, I'll just let a little more time lapse in between purchases and not go all crazy. It's called moderation, people. Are you OK with that? Great. Sounds good.

Smiles,
Erin

Leah, you are in TROUBLE.

2007-07-16T16:35:00.001-04:00

And by "TROUBLE", I mean, you got me this time. Leah so kindly invited me to spin with her on Saturday with a group that, I believe, meets monthly. She painstakingly taught me how to spin, and let me play using her fiber and her Electronic Spinner (I even blew a fuse, but we don't go there). Let's just say I enjoyed it.

*sigh* Just what a need - another hobby!!

So, tell me...does a yarn diet exclude spinning wheels? Does anyone know? I'd really like to have something a lot like this guy.

To cheat? Or not to cheat?

2007-07-10T15:15:00.000-04:00

That is the question.

Look at all the pretty colors!!!

Has it been 3 months yet?

This is REALLY hard.

2007-06-28T14:39:00.000-04:00

You know, being on a yarn diet is really, really difficult when you discover THREE great new places to buy yarn on the Internet ALL IN ONE DAY:

Wool Girl

Gardiner Yarn Works

Sonny & Shear

Kill me now.

Music for the summertime.

2007-06-27T12:23:00.000-04:00

Today, I discovered a new band. Well, they're not really a new band. But, they're news to me. Have any of you heard of them? The Lemon Pipers? They were primarily a one-hit wonder - their biggest hit was "Green Tambourine", but their songs are just fun, pop songs. They're fantastic - perfect retro music for the summertime.

Look at these guys:

It's hard to believe they weren't bigger stars. I wonder what happened? It's definitely a mystery we may never solve.

Diet THIS!

2007-06-26T16:29:00.000-04:00

I am lusting after everything (excluding the roving - I don't know how to spin...yet) in this shop. Look at that glorious sock yarn! Too bad I can't do anything about it. I am on a self-imposed yarn diet for the next three months.

Please note that this excludes any negotiations or sales that were already in progress. Ahem.

This all stems from that fact that I have something very exciting in the works that I need to be saving for, and from the fact that my stash is officially out of control. I flashed my stash in a terrible manner a few posts ago, but I re-organized, so I'll re-post again on that soon. Once you see it, I'm certain you'll agree that this just has to happen.

Oh, how sad it makes me.
Erin

Single sock count: 19

2007-06-12T23:41:00.000-04:00

Um, yeah...you read that right. I have now completed 19 single socks.

* sighhhhhhhhh*

Here's the proof:

Here are some more shots:

From left to right: Luna Park, Lorna's Lace in Lorikeet, Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Bitteroot Rainbow, Regia, Lana Grossa Meilenweit, Interlacements Tiny Toes, Claudia's Handpaint in Freesia, Koigu KPPPM, and Koigu KPPPM.

From left to right: Koigu KPPPM, Koigu KPPPM, Blue Moon Fibers Arts STR in Farmhouse, Blue Moon Fiber Arts STR in Fire On The Mountain, Brown Sheep Wildfoote, Black Bunny Fibers in Eat Your Veggies, Koige KPPPM, Lorna's Laces, ?, and ? (I'll find out later and edit).

Now, don't let all of these single socks fool you. Let's not get crazy, everybody. I have actually finished quite a few pair - I just haven't taken any pictures because they're in the bottom of my hamper waiting to be soaked in some Eucalan. I'm not sure what my pairs count is, but I can tell you that it's definitely not up to 19. I don't feel guilty about it. Just happy, I guess.

Thank you for enjoying this post,
Erin ;)

Oh, heck YES.

2007-06-11T12:04:00.003-04:00

Somehow, I got on the Reese's mailing list, and through all of that, I caught wind of these:

They come out in July, but you can order them here now. Hrm. Should I? Shouldn't I?

I probably shouldn't, but boy, do I want to.

Thank you for enjoying this post,
Elvis

Voluntary Product Endorsements - Round 1

2007-05-29T12:35:00.000-04:00

A long time ago, in a land far, far away (Murfreesboro, TN, to be specific) I used to update a livejournal. Periodically, I would endorse new products I found to be particularly fabulous. I now feel a need to bring this practice into light once more. Let us begin.

1. Uncrustables.

Sure, they look a little odd, and you can find them in the frozen foods section which might seem disgusting because it's a "sandwich" made from soft bread, but I'm telling you, they are divine. I can't get enough.

2. Diet Pepsi Jazz Caramel Creme.

I'm not keen on the marketing of this product ("Jazz"? That's just corny), but holyshit, it is good. I'd put it right up there with Diet Dr. Pepper. Let's just hope it doesn't fade away like Crystal Pepsi.

3. Sanford uni-ball Signo bit 0.7.

This pen is smooooooooooth. Unfortunately, for my job, I pretty much need to have them in blue, but all of the office supply stores I've been to only sell them in tri-color 3-packs (one blue, black, and red), or 3-packs of black ink. Grr. I must find them on the Internets.

4. Garnier Fructis Sleek 'n Shine Sheer.

I have really fine hair. "Fine", as in thin, people. At the risk of sounding like a hair commercial, this shampoo makes my hair feel sleek, without weighing it down. It is worth all three dollars. Trust me.

5. Taco Bell's 7-layer crunchwrap supreme.

There is always a time and place for Taco Bell. This thing is just as good as their mexican pizza. Mmmm. I think, between the two of us, Jake and I have eaten 10 of these during the past week.

6. Gold Bond Foot Powder.

Lastly, this product and I have won a battle that has been ongoing since...well, nevermind. Too much information, I suppose. Just trust me on this one. Again, this product is worth all five dollars you'd have to spend to get some of it.

Sock knit-a-long!

2007-05-18T11:30:00.000-04:00

Check it out! This is such a great idea, and I'm really looking forward to it. Starting June 7th, the Haus of Yarn in Nashville will be hosting a sock knit-a-long, meeting the first Thursday of every month. The cost is $5/session, and they'll give you a $5 gift certificate that is redeemable anytime during each month.

Um, really, how can I NOT do this? Really, there is no cost involved, since the Haus is my absolute favorite yarn shop ever. I go in there at least once a month anyway to shop and end up spending a sizable amount of cash. I'm also looking forward to getting a few pointers from Leah...I would love to know how she picks up the two stitches as the end of the gusset, as to not leave a hole (I do this differently, and probably not correctly every time), and I've heard she also has some great ways to avoid the inevitable weirdess people usually get while executing the kitchener stitch.

Please join me!!! I'm going to call and pre-register today! :)

Smiles,
Erin

I just realized...

2007-05-16T10:27:00.000-04:00

...I broke every cardinal rule of fashion yesterday. I wore a brown, leather belt with black, leather shoes and carried a white, leather purse. I have problems. I didn't realize that until I came home last night. Whoops. I doubt anyone even noticed, though.

Also, I'd really like to know how one becomes a cast member on VH-1's Celebrity Fit Club. I mean, is there a talent person at VH-1 assigned the job of booking the show? If so, is that person really on the phone all day with managers and talent agents of the random has-beens saying things like, "Well, we've noticed that Screech has really been packin' it on lately...do you think he might want to be on TV again?" I just can't imagine that this would go over well. Or, are these managers beating down the door at VH-1 trying to get these freaks in the limelight again? I'm just wondering.

I broke down.

2007-04-29T13:27:00.000-04:00

I've been really good lately (lately, as in, say, the past two weeks) about not buying so much sock yarn. I kind of broke down today, though. I couldn't resist. I bought this.

YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! I've not heard of this brand before, but I'm excited, nonetheless. Getting yarn in the mail is the absolute best, don't you think?

Oh, yes.

2007-04-26T17:01:00.000-04:00

The Lord hath answered all of my prayers. Check it out. I'm going shopping.

Love,
Erin

More photos from (last week's) Meetup

2007-04-18T16:31:00.000-04:00

Mary Leigh so kindly sent me more pictures from last week's Meetup. Check them out on flickr.

Last night's meeting was totally awesome. Again. I say it every week, but it just keeps getting better. I bet we had at least 22 people last night. It must have been a record!! I believe that Laurie took a few candid shots last night...hopefully she'll send me those when she gets a chance (hint, hint)!

Smiles,
Erin

Meetup Night

2007-04-12T10:25:00.000-04:00

WOW! Tuesday night at Portland Brew was fantastic!!! I'm pretty sure it was the largest group we'd ever had. It was so nice to see Niquie and Jinjifore again!

Luckily for my bad blogger self, several people brought cameras, including Laurie P., who sent me these rockin' shots:

That's me (I swear, I am not that horrid-looking in person), Jennifer, Niquie, and Laura (from left to right)...

(from right to left) That's Mary-Leigh, Kim, Eli, and I'm-hoping-they'll-forgive-me-for-not-remembering-their-names on the end, and the side of Laura's head.

That's Betty, Jessica, Barb, and Catherine (from left to right)...

That's those-two-I-still-can't-remember-their-names-and-I'm-hoping-they-
won't-hate-me, and Eli, showing off the 13 inches of the scarf she knit in 10 minutes.

Eli again, showing off 4 more inches after 10 minutes, and Kim...

And finally, that's Barb, Catherine, and those two nice ladies again.

A good time was had by all! I can't wait for next week. Please join us sometime!

The Knitting Guild meeting is tonight, and I'm hoping to go.

Smiles,
Erin

I shouldn't knit when I'm tired.

2007-04-09T13:47:00.000-04:00

Last night, after the festivities of Easter (I got to fill and hide eggs this year!), I came home and started the leg of a sock from Charlene Schurch's second book - More Sensational Knitted Socks. I was able to score a copy while I was at the Harmony of Fibers festival a few weekends ago. I started a pattern from the Eight-Stitch collection within the book called "Scrolls". So, I knit about 10 rows of the 16-row pattern with no trouble and then flaked out at around row 11 somehow like a big dope. I tried to unknit and then start over, but then I couldn't figure out what row I knit last. I felt like a tard.

One time, while knitting at the library (which is going on as I type this), Ann asked if I ever knit socks with patterning instead of just the plain, stockinette socks I knit all the time. I replied to her, "Well, I've started a few of those, but those generally don't ever get done." The problem is, I want to get out of that rut...I've been there, done that. I've bought so much hand-dyed sock yarn, and knit so many plain socks out of it, that now I'm a tad bored with all that, even though they're all still so beautiful (to me, anyway). So, I want to challenge myself, and knit a little more "impressively".

So, if I'm going to knit more impressively, I'm going to have to resolve to not do it when I'm tired, otherwise I'll just get frustrated and screw it all up and knit "retardedly" vs. "impressively" and then toss it aside and then start another sock.

And yes, that's a lot of rambling, and for that I apologize. You don't have to read it if you don't want to.

Thank you for enjoying this post,
Erin

Also.

2007-04-04T15:22:00.000-04:00

How cool is this thing?

I don't really ever eat toast, but this thing looks mighty handy. It's the One-Click Butter Cutter.

Oh hell...maybe I just like the name.

And I realize this has nothing to do with knitting. I'll get on that soon.

Thank you for enjoying this post,
Erin

DOG.

2007-03-27T16:30:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry. They just really make me laugh.

I love DOG. I can admit it.

Um, yeah.

2007-03-26T18:11:00.000-04:00

As much as I love hand knitting my socks, I really, really want one of these.

Someone...please tell me it's a bad idea.

Harmony of Fibers??

2007-03-21T10:58:00.000-04:00

Is anyone else going to the Southeast Fiber Forum's Harmony of Fibers event at Montgomery Bell State Park on Saturday???

Apparently, Charlene Schurch is teaching sock and yarn dyeing class, though I'm not sure if I've missed the boat on registration or not. Hrm.

Meetup night!

2007-03-20T22:53:00.000-04:00

Tonight's Meetup was so much fun. I guess I didn't realize just how much I missed going last week until I got there tonight. Anyway, it was excessively hot in there (apparently, their air conditioning is broken), so we're contemplating a new location. I'm thinking The Frothy Monkey might be an idea. I think they even have a patio. I might call tomorrow and see if they'd be okay with having a bunch of knitters Tuesday nights. Also, we missed Kim!!

On the way home I stopped at the new Which Wich on West End. Have you guys been there? Um, yeah, it's pretty much awesome. I had an egg salad sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and avocado, with some chips and a rice krispie treat. DELISH!

That's all I've got for now.

Thank you for enjoying this post,
Erin

So sick. Oh, and I bought some new needles.

2007-03-14T18:23:00.000-04:00

Hello, everyone. I realize I have been a little lax on the whole blogging thing lately. I really need to get up off my ass, quit knitting, and take some pictures of all of these socks. For that, I apologize.

Anyway, if ever there was an excuse...I have one this week. Let's just say that I think I've lost 15 pounds in 2 days. Enough said? YUCK. So, I've been out sick from work for two days, much to my dismay. My new job is definitely keeping me busy (that's the way I like it!)!!

But, I did manage to find some time to buy some new needles:

Yes, I realize that I knit socks, and not lace, but pointier, golden addis with a red cord??? Let's just say I couldn't resist. I purchased mine from Little Knits, but I also just found that Yarnzilla has them (cheaper? I'm not sure...their shipping might be more), as well.

I've also been lusting, badly, after this (Jake, you can stop reading now):

That's a Namaste Jetsetter knitting bag. The Haus of Yarn had one in stock a few weeks ago when I was there, and it was all I could do to not grab it. I had one of their frequent buyer cards filled up, so I had a $25 dollar credit, too...that I spent on yarn instead. Idiot!! Oh, well. At least it was some Colinette.

Foul. Just foul.

2007-03-08T11:12:00.000-05:00

So, this morning, I decided to clean up my new office a little bit. I had a few towers of boxes from the people who had this job before me. Well, these people were so kind as to leave me a little envelope full of paper clips, binder clips, and rubber bands...so, I'm sorting through the pile, and found one of THESE:

What's that, you ask? Oh, it's just a flosser. That's right...a dental floss holder!! AND IT WAS USED.

I'm gonna go wash my hands.

The Nashville Knitting Meetup

2007-03-06T22:36:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to report that this night's meeting of The Nashville Knitting Meetup was another success! In my opinion, here were the highlights:

1. We had a new member with us! Mari rescues parrots! Thankfully for us, she had pictures with her to share with all of us.
2. Laura made fun of my cankles, as she gracefully tried on her nearly finished sock with the double-pointed needles still on it.
3. Catherine brought along some of her fabulously hand-dyed sock yarn. Of course, I bought two skeins. I couldn't resist. The stuff is absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait to start knitting with it!
4. Bonnie stumped Catherine and I, as we tried to help her figure out what row she was on as she was knitting her Wavy scarf.
5. Barb told us a hilarious story about how she had one time considered purchasing a trampoline that she could place next to her bed, which would aid in her getting into her high bed, and then out.
6. Some dude sat with his laptop, right in the middle of our circle for most of the time...we all knew full well that he was listening to all of our stories and was enjoying every minute of it. After a while, his girlfriend (or, some girl that was his friend) showed up, and said, "What's going on here? Do you have something you want to tell me?" Priceless.
7. Kim showed us her completed Oktoberfest sock and a swatch knit out of the Monsoon colorway from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. I am extremely jealous that she is a member of the Rockin' Sock Club.
8. Catherine's daughter, Alicia, joined us, and although she wasn't knitting, had with her a completed purse that she carries. It had a gorgeous lining, and we were all in awe.
9. Eli started a hat, tried on the ribbing, and then decided she didn't like it and could start over and have another whole hat done in about an hour anyway. ;)
10. There was plenty of bitching, as it should be.
11. I think it's safe to say that a good time was had by all.

Viva la Revolution!

2007-03-02T10:14:00.000-05:00

I've wanted to become a member of the Nashville Craft Mafia for some time now, but tomorrow, I'll have a chance to check it out at The Revolution of Craft at the Cannery Ballroom from noon-5. I can't wait! Is anyone else going??

Lots of...

2007-02-22T14:45:00.000-05:00

...socks. That's right. I've finished 3 more pairs since I last posted. That's right...pairs, not single socks, though, there are some of those, too. I probably should take some pictures and post them, but I've been having a lot of issues with my laziness. You understand.

Thank you for enjoying this post,
Erin

Woah.

2007-02-16T13:34:00.000-05:00

Wow. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about this:

Very creative? Hahahha...check it out and get yours on etsy.

Make sure you check out his other items for sale, including his kind of totally awesome Jake Gyllenhaal knits.

iPhone

2007-02-12T12:46:00.000-05:00

I don't know what my problem is, but I really want one of these when they come out:

Apparently, Cingular will make you sign on for another 2 years to get it, but DAMN - look at this thing!!!!

My birthday.

2007-02-08T12:41:00.000-05:00

I had an absolutely fabulous birthday. It was possibly the best one I've ever had, to tell you the truth. Jake planned a dinner for me at the Gerst Haus, and it was just fantastic. From start to finish. Oh, yes, there was plenty of sausage eating, don't you worry:

That's my friend, Brooke, who made me the best birthday cake I'd ever had:

I mean, really! Take a look at this thing!! Just awesome. The yarn ball is made of rice krispie treats and covered in delicious yarn frosting. Of course, this was as close as I'd ever get to eating yarn (oh, the joy), so I had to dive in:

The needles weren't as tasty, but I ate them anyway:

Good Lord, what was up with that eye makeup? Never again. Anyway, Jake ate some of the yarn ball, too, and then sat there with it in his mustache for a while:

He slow danced with me to the polka music after pretty much everyone had left, though, so he's still #1 in my book.

Thank you for enjoying this post,
Erin

Flash your stash!

2007-02-08T11:02:00.000-05:00

Oh, you didn't mean that kind? Sorry.

I know I'm terribly far behind, and Socktoberfest was on October, but really, in life, it's better late than never. So, I'm gonna flash my stash. Here's the first part:

That would be last bit of the reds, moving into the pinks, moving into the oranges, moving into the yellows, moving into the greens. Yes, it is organized by color. Just like my closet. And the pantry. Just kidding about the pantry. Here's the next part:

Here we have the blues, moving to the purples, moving to the purple-pinks. Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of the whites, moving to the tans, moving back to the whites, turning into the pinks and reds. Someday, I'll rememdy that.

I have all of my yarny bidness in these lovely shelves:

Of course, this picture was taken right after the room was painted and the shelves were assembed (more details here).

More to come...thank you for enjoying this post,

Erin

The Nashville Knitting Meetup

2007-02-07T12:46:00.000-05:00

I am happy to report that the first meeting of The Nashville Knitting Meetup was a success!! For those of you who don't know about what I'm talking about, check it out:

http://knitting.meetup.com/1180/

Here's the calendar:

http://knitting.meetup.com/1180/calendar/

We will be meeting weekly on Tuesday nights. Last night, we were at Portland Brew, which was a touch small, so I am now considering what our options are as far as a different venue. Any ideas are welcome!!

Seriously.

2007-02-01T10:31:00.000-05:00

What is up with all the stars posing with fish lips? Seriously, enough is enough. This doesn't make anyone look sexier, it just makes them look like dorks. Prime exampe:

And another:

Totally unnecessary.

And I'm fairly sure this is natural, but still. How can anyone really find these crazy lips all that attractive?:

Put those lips away, I say!

I mean, does it make this average woman look sexier?:

I didn't think so.

Okay, I think I'm done.

Thank you for enjoying this post,
Erin

Lord, give me strength...

2007-01-26T11:43:00.000-05:00

...and please help me resist the urge to click "Buy now" and purchase this:

Like I said...I have problems.

More Christmas, because I like it.

2007-01-25T14:14:00.000-05:00

My rockin' sister, Emily, sent me the Christmas pictures she had from her digital camera, so I'd like to share. Every year, we go over to my Aunt Nina's house for Christmas Eve to celebrate with my mom's side of the family. I have a very knitterly family. Did you know that? Here's the evidence:

That's my Aunt Nina on the left, modeling the fair isle sweater she just finished, my mom (who knits a lot but wasn't showing off that day), and my Aunt Laura on the right, modeling her fabulous yellow sweater she knit for a Christmas party she was going to. FABULOUS!! Here's my Aunt 9 in action:

You can't really tell it here, but she knits...FAST. Almost too fast. It's quite amazing.

Also, there were a lot of babies:

Aunt Laura is holding ZaeAnna, my cousin, Brenda's youngest, and her other two, Alex, and X'Zavier are playing on the floor. My cousin, Adam, is holding Wyatt (and Jessie and Brenda are hanging on the floor). Baby-tastic.

I messed with Wyatt for a while:

I don't like to hold babies that often (I'm afraid I'll break them or worse), but I couldn't resist.

On Christmas day, we had my dad's side of the family over at our house. My cousin Valerie just had a baby girl...here's my mom holding Kaelyn Paige (and me sitting behind her holding a pop):

So cute. Good times were had by all.

My cousin Natalie and her boyfriend Ryan were there. They're too pretty:

Emily also snapped some more pictures of Fluffy with my mom (I can't resist posting them all):

That's all for now. Maybe one day, I'll have a digital camera again, and I can, say, post pictures of knitted socks.

Thank you for enjoying this post,
Erin

I LOVE it.

2007-01-24T18:18:00.000-05:00

Hole E. Shit. This issue looks absolutely AMAZING.

There's going to be a pattern from Ann Bud that calls for a new yarn from Blue Moon Fiber Arts called Seduction, which is apparently 50% merino and 50% tencel.

Oh, boy. So much to look forward to! My mom got me a subscription about a month ago, too...just because.

Also, Carol at Black Bunny Fibers just let me know she dyed another batch of her FIERCE colorway, as I requested:

Maybe I'll join the HOPALONG once it arrives!!

Catching up.

2007-01-19T11:20:00.000-05:00

I don't really have a digital camera right now, which would be unfortunate for any blogger, but right now I'm really feeling the loss. Fortunately enough for me, my mom has a digital camera, and I was able to snap a few pictures using hers, including a few of my favorite Christmas present, Fluffy L. Jackson (like Samuel L. Jackson, except a cat):

Jake surprised me and took me to Love at First Sight, which is actually where I got my other cat, Nona, and he let me pick out any kitten I wanted. Of course, I had been begging him to agree to getting a second cat for at least six months, but whatever. Anyway, Fluffy was certainly the cutest one in there, and I couldn't resist. He is one of he sweetest, most friendly kittens I've ever seen, which is marvelous, since Nona, as many of you well know, is kind of a bitch. Here's the Fluff lounging with my dad:

Also, Christmas was pretty much totally awesome this year. I think everyone may have gone slightly overboard, what do you think?:

I got many, many other wonderful knitting-related gifts from my parents and Jake, as well, including one of these:

And one of these in brown/light blue:

And some of these in size small:

Needless to say, I had to exchange them for a size large for my size 11 socks...that was very flattering Jacob, but f'reals. ;)

So, Christmas was some good times. After going to Cleveland, I spent a few days in Fort Wayne with Jake and his family, which was also fun. I got to see where he grew up, and got to meet some of his friends from home.

Thank you for enjoying this post,
Erin

I can't wait...

2007-01-18T16:08:00.000-05:00

...for the following two books to come out:

(comes out March 26, 2007)

(comes out April 1, 2007)

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!

2007-01-18T11:20:00.000-05:00

I've been following The Heathen Housewife's journey as she knits a very marvelous blankie out of leftover sock yarn she has mostly received from very generous knitbloggers all around the world. Her blankie is absolutely gorgeous, as you can see, and Shelly's blog is hilarious. I have been considering attempting this project, but I wasn't sure I loved the mitered garter look so much.

Thanks to the marvelous Ann, I have finally found possibly THE COOLEST WAY to use up my sock yarn leftovers.

There's a knitalong for charity and some possibility of your square being included in a book (?), which I may join...I better decide quick, though. Apparently, the deadline is January 20th.

(image from the flickr pool)

Desktop art.

2007-01-16T17:17:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things to do while I'm supposed to be working or doing something else is finding really cool images for my Windows Desktop. I found out today that Purl's fabric site is a goldmine. Check it out.

The image I've currently got on my desktop came from there:

I'm sure this is all very interesting. Whatever, just sharing the wealth. ;)

More (single) socks. Oh, boy.

2007-01-16T13:50:00.000-05:00

People, I have a major problem. Last night I finished another sock. Another SINGLE sock, and I have no desire to do another one. Oh, it's beautiful, and I'd like to wear it someday, but not if it's going to take me another week and a half to finish the other one and I have this Wool in the Woods yarn I just bought that would look so nice on my size 3s.

Seriously. This is how I think. It's a problem.

I just finished two other socks, and it's the same situation. In the one instance, I decided I was going to knit a sock out of Interlacements Tiny Toes using some dpns I got for Christmas. I don't normally knit with dpns, but they were a there...you know, a set of needles that could have a bunch of really cool yarn on them. I'm just not very motivated to start the other one using these needles, although I should, in order to make sure it comes out the same as the first one. Ugh. The other one is a marvelous orange sock knit using some Cherry Tree Hill yarn, and I have the cuff done on the second sock, but for whatever reason don't want to start the heel.

I don't know what my problem is. I don't really have a problem. I'm just pouring out all of my sock turmoil. I'm sure this is all very interesting. Also, Jake's mom is going to be sending us a digital camera, so hopefully I'll have pictures to post soon!

YESSSSSSSS!!

2007-01-12T12:18:00.000-05:00

It's back!:

Lion Brand has answered the call of knitters worldwide. This was (and now IS) one of my favorite yarns to knit. It's very easy to take care of, and I loved the choice of colors, which used to be a bunch of primary colors. Check out the new colors. I hope they intend to bring back the classic colors as well as these new ones. I'm really only digging the lime, charcoal, and terracotta. Oh, boy.

New Knitty!

2006-12-08T15:52:00.000-05:00

The new Knitty is up!

Just a little Christmas present for y'all...or is it?? Sorry, but there are some weird patterns this time. I guess, to each his own. I personally love Cookie's monkey pattern, and not surprisingly, it's probably the only one I'll ever attempt from this issue.

Huh?

2006-11-28T10:42:00.000-05:00

I don't know............

You are The Star

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Star is one of the great cards of faith, dreams realised

The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing. This card suggests clarity of vision, spiritual insight. And, most importantly, that unexpected help will be coming, with water to quench your thirst, with a guiding light to the future. They might say you're a dreamer, but you're not the only one.

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Lots to report - Socktoberfest, part 1.

2006-11-20T16:03:00.000-05:00

I realize I'm a little late on this one, but why should my blog be any different from my behavior in normal life (I'm always late)? Needless to say, I didn't really need Socktoberfest to be inspired to knit some socks, but I was. It was pretty obvious to me and, well, everyone else around me that my "sock bug" was in full effect during the month of October. I'm not sure how this is different from any other month, but whatever. I knit a lot of socks. Wanna see 'em? Okay. I'll preface all this by saying I didn't knit the entire lot in October...some of them were started a long time ago, and some of them got started in October, and well, you get the idea.

I'm going to start by celebrating the pairs of socks I finished. That's right - you heard it here first - PAIRS! I feel very accomplished. And might I add, it's very fulfilling to actually finish entire projectS. Yes, with an "s", because I finished more than one, and am reaping the benefits by actually being able to wear my handknit socks regularly! Enough, here are the are the PAIRS:

Here is a pair I knit from my basic sock pattern using All Things Heather sportweight in "Vacation". These things are soft as shit.

Here's a closeup:

And another, because I like you:

And the fully monty:

Here is a pair that, prior to taking the picture, had been washed about 4 times. It was made with the basic sock pattern using Fleece Artist merino in "Pinata":

I love the yarn, but the dye job was a little whack. I still think they're marvelous, though, even if I DID make them.

Here's my favorite pair I've ever made, knit with Schaeffer Anne in "Hot Stuff (?)":

And a closeup:

That's it for the pairs, but come on people...that's quite an accomplishment for me, considering my horrid case of SSS. I've come a long way. So, now, I will show you the single socks, so we maintain a theme for this blog. First up is another basic sock knit up with Black Bunny Fibers (you can find it on etsy.com) "Eat Your Veggies":

I LOVE this yarn. Really. You can't get any better, people.

Here's one done in Socks That Rock "Farmhouse":

I love me some Socks That Rock, but I've gotta say this skein wasn't as shiny as some I had knit with before. Hrm. Here's a closeup:

That's all of the single socks, so now we'll move on to the WIPs. Here's one in the works, knit with the custom Simply Socks Sock Yarn colorway of Fleece Artist merino:

Here's another one in Fleece Artist merino, in the "Tiger" colorway:

And a closeup of the yarn in the ball, because it makes me hot (not really):

Here's one that's allllllmost done using Knitty's RPM pattern and Koigu KPPPM:

That yarn looks prettier in the skein. It's so unfortunate.

Here's a fun PAIR. That's right - I'm trying a new technique with this one, in which I knit both at once, using magic loop. So far, it isn't bad, except that I have to stop every ten minutes and untangle the yarn. It is obnoxious. Also, I'm not exactly sure how this is going to work once I get to the heep flaps. That is, when and if I ever get that far. Mreh. Here 'tis:

And a closeup:

Here's one using a ripple stitch from a new book I found that I'll tell you about later in this post:

This was knit with some yarn I found on etsy.com from a vendor called Lavender Sheep. I realize I haven't gotten very far. I have a short attention span, apparently. We'll call it S.A.D.D. (Sock Attention Defecit Disorder).

I've actually finished this one, since I took this picture, and it is marvelous. It has to be one of my favorites. I knit it with Addi size 0s, and cast on 88(!) stitches:

I thought I was going to run out of yarn, but I ended up having just enough. This is Lorna's Laces in "Lorikeet", though I call it the Fuddrucker's colorway. And a closeup:

Here's another one I've since finished, using another lovely, lovely skein of Schaeffer Anne:

Love, love, love the striping.

Here's one that's barely started using the "Breathmint" colorway of the Syncopation line from the sKNITches online shop:

Next up is some more show and tell. I have added to my sock knitting library. Here are some Nancy Bush classics:

The Knitter's Magazine sock pattern books and a ripple and wave stitch book, which I ADORE:

And I won an auction on eBay for a huge lot of vintage patterns. Primarily, I wanted these:

Very nice. Here is one of my favorite pages:

I will definitely be making this one someday:

I'm about sock-ed out for now. I hope you enjoyed this calamity.

The shape of things to come.

2006-11-17T12:11:00.000-05:00

This looks pretty good, I must say. I wasn't at all impressed with the Fall 2006 issue. This one will be out on newsstands on December 12th.

Also.

2006-11-15T19:55:00.000-05:00

How cool is this???

I must make one - perhaps over a very long period of time with leftover sock yarn? I have GOT to find this pattern...I had the pleasure of seeing Jennifer's blanket in person at the last Stitch 'n Bitch at Threaded Bliss last Thursday. Jennifer, I've got to say...it's soooo much more impressive in person!

Oh, BOY.

2006-11-15T19:45:00.000-05:00

Have you guys seen the new etsy??

I'm pretty sure I can blame this site for why I have a problem with buying too much sock yarn, I think.